Friday, October 13, 2017

The decision to evacuate 14 doctors out of Mendi in Southern Highlands has been commended by the National Doctors Association.

Despite a call by the Health Secretary, Pascoe Kase, for the doctors to remain and continue to perform their duties, the president of the association, Dr James Naipao, said they were evacuated for security reasons.

Most doctors and their families were evacuated from the province before the arrival of security forces into the province as a result of escalating law and order problems.

“Loss of lives through high-powered guns, rampage and burning down of properties in the Mendi township and encroaching into setups like the School of Nursing and hospital is deemed absolutely with no connotation a crisis and emergency,” Dr Naipao said.

He said the deployment of security forces was a reaction to the already existing turmoil that has ravaged Mendi town.

The doctor also said all employers should have been in communication with their employees in Mendi.

“The fear of loss of life, insecurity, school children missing classes and lack of freedom in the already red-hot situation in Mendi must not be taken lightly by those in authority.

“The doctors in Mendi were, and are, in constant communication with their immediate employers, and their union affiliates as done with National Doctors Association.

“The decision to evacuate doctors and their families by SHP PHA management and the SHP government is highly commendable,” Dr Naipao said.

“This decision was done before the arrival of the security forces. This shows that these two team leaders respect this human resources in the province.”

Dr Naipao said leaders in management positions and politics who did not care about loss of lives at an already existing crisis or impending crisis should rethink the position they occupy.